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I-694 NON-MOTORIZED CROSSING STUDY PAGE 20 Bruce Vento Regional Trail The Bruce Vento Regional Trail is a designated Regional Trail that is owned and operated by Ramsey County and follows the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority Right of way from White Bear Lake into St. Paul. The trail crossing at I-694 is completely separated from vehicular traffic, providing a safe alternative to busier adjacent crossings such as TH 61 and White Bear Avenue. The Bruce Vento Regional Trail currently terminates just north of I-694 at Buerkle Road, which limits its ability to serve as an adequate alternative crossing. Those that want to access the trail from the north must ultimately ride along White Bear Avenue or TH 61 for a segment in order to reach the Vento trail crossing via Buerkle Road. The City of White Bear Lake and Ramsey County are actively pursuing the extension of the trail in recognition of this need. White Bear Avenue White Bear Avenue (CSAH 65) is a north/south corridor between White Bear Lake and St. Paul. White Bear Avenue is the primary route to the Maplewood Mall and transit center, a key destination in the area. The corridor carries 35,500 vehicles per day at I-694 and is a transit route with both local and express bus service. The corridor has sidewalks on both sides throughout but lacks designated bicycle facilities. McKnight Road McKnight Road (CSAH 68) connects the south shore of White Bear Lake to St. Paul through a primarily residential area. There are two high schools along the route— White Bear Lake north of I-694, and North High School near TH 36. McKnight crosses I-694 at a non-interchange location with relatively low traffic volumes (7,000 vehicles per day). These characteristics are a benefit for non-motorized users, but the bridge currently lacks designated pedestrian or bicycle facilities. There is a narrow sidewalk on the east side of the bridge, but it does not extend to the approaching intersections and is therefore not accessible. Trunk Highway 120 TH 120 is a MnDOT highway that connects TH 244 in White Bear Lake to just south of I-94 near the 3M campus. Century College, north of I-694 is a significant destination and traffic generator of all travel modes within the study area. Near I-694, the corridor carries 16,300 vehicles per day and serves as a Metro Transit bus route. The corridor generally lacks sidewalks, except for a few locations, and does not have designated bicycle facilities. The bridge over I-694 has 5-foot sidewalks on the bridge, but lacks sidewalks on the approaches, making them inaccessible. The Lake Links Trail Master Plan identified a proposed future trail on the west side of TH 120 south of I-694. The plan also identified a future separate trail crossing of I-694 east of TH 120 as a way to direct trail users away from the busy I-694 interchange. Funding for either project has not been secured.